Awkward Exchange
by GallagherGirl33
Summary: Cammie and Josh just broke up and it's the end of winter break. The girls go out to a party and meet some new boys. How does the spring semester go at Gallagher? Not the best summary but please give the story a chance.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I hated Macey sometimes. As I sat in a chair in a very short and tight dress and uncomfortable high heels getting my hair curled, I was a little crabby. I didn't want this. Let me back up a little. After Josh and I broke up, I was understandably very upset. Macey's solution: a party. Now here I was getting prepped for it. The party was at someone's house who Macey knew.

"We're ready to go!" Macey said. I sighed and got in the back of her car next to Bex.

"You'll be fine, Cam," Bex told me reassuringly. We pulled up to the party and the music was blaring. Macey pulled us into the house to sit at the bar. People were dancing everywhere and it was set up like a club. I was handed a red cup filled with a liquid that smelled like beer from Macey.

She rolled her eyes at my face. "Just drink it." We sat down and were talking when two boys walked up.

"What are gorgeous girls like you doing sitting around? Would you like to dance?" A tall, blonde haired boy asked Bex.

She shrugged. "What's your name?"

"I'm Grant. And yours?" He asked.

"Bex," she said with a smile. "Let's dance."

A slightly awkward but cute nerdy boy who was standing by Grant asked, "I'm Jonas. What's your name?"

"Liz," she said with a blush.

Jonas blushed. "Would you like to dance?" She nodded and they walked off together. I finished my drink and grabbed another.

Macey laughed. "Slow down, Cammie."

"Why?" I asked with a glare.

"You've never drank before. I don't want you getting sick," Macey said. I just shrugged and took another sip. "I know it sucks that you and Josh had to break up but you need to try and move on."

"It just sucks being single at a party," I mumbled.

"Hey, would you like to dance?" A boy asked Macey.

She glanced at me and I just responded, "Go ahead." She smiled and danced away with him. I finished my second drink and grabbed a third.

"You look like you're having fun," a boy's voice said. I turned and saw the most attractive boy I'd ever seen. He had dark brown, almost black, hair and dark green eyes. I just snorted and continued glaring at the wall. "Seriously? No hello? No backstory? At least tell me your name."

"Cammie," I said.

He sat down. "Well, Cammie, I'm Zach. Would you like to share with me why you're so upset?"

"Not particularly," I mumbled. He laughed and my anger softened. "Fine. I just broke up with my boyfriend and my friends dragged me out here so I would have fun but they all left me here by myself."

"I'll be your friend," Zach said.

I turned and smiled at him. "Why do you want to be my friend?"

"Because I'm pretty sure my friends all ran off with yours," Zach said. He motioned to the dancing couples that included both of our friends.

"Fine." I rolled my eyes. "Let's dance."

I almost screamed as I woke up to my phone ringing. I hit cancel because I was comfy in my bed... With an arm around me? I opened my eyes. This wasn't my room. Or my bed. I looked at the boy next to me and groaned. It wasn't my room. It was Zach's. Just like the arm around me was Zach's. I was freaking out now. I wouldn't have done anything with him, right? Wrong. I had literally nothing on under the blanket. I got up and grabbed a blanket off the end of his bed and covered myself. I picked up all of my clothes and my phone and went into the bathroom without him noticing. I got dressed quickly as my phone rang again.

"Hello?" I answered, whispering.

"Cammie, why are you whispering?" Macey asked.

I said, "I just have a bit of a headache from all the drinking." It wasn't a lie. I was so hungover.

"I never saw you leave last night. Did you get home okay?" Macey replied.

Technically, I still wasn't home. "Totally. I'm going to get some aspirin. I'll call you back later. Bye." I hung up the phone and zipped up the back of my dress. I called a cab that would be here any minute. On my way out of Zach's room, I picked my heels up off the floor, knowing Macey would kill me if I lost her brand new Jimmy Choo's. I was walking to where I guessed the door would be when I heard voices in the kitchen. I looked around the wall and saw Grant, Jonas, and the boy who asked Macey to dance.

"I'm just waiting for Zach to get up. Who do you think the girl was?" Grant asked.

Macey's dancing buddy shrugged. "I don't know. I just know they prevented me from getting any sleep last night." I groaned and they turned towards me. "Oh, you're Macey's friend, right?"

I nodded uncomfortably. "Um, sorry and yes I am. You are?"

"Nick and it's cool," he replied.

"I should get going. If you see my friends again, please don't tell them about this," I said. They nodded and I walked outside and got in my cab. I heard laughing as I closed the door. Did that seriously just happen? So awkward.

 **Sorry it's a little short! It's mostly just an intro to the story. I hope you like it and please write a review so I know how you feel about it! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As the cab turned on my street, I saw a car in my driveway. Crap. It wasn't my mom. She was on a mission. We had bought a house in Roseville recently so I had a place close to Gallagher. I had been here the week before school started and Macey had a house twenty minutes away. Liz and Bex were at Macey's.

"Just pull over here," I told the driver as I gave him money. He nodded and I got out. I snuck through the back lawns until I got to my window. I then climbed up the side of my house and snuck in the window. I ran in my closet and put on sweats and a t-shirt. I threw my hair in a messy bun and walked down the stairs.

"Well, where have you been?" Joe Solomon asked as he casually read the newspaper and drank coffee at my dining room table.

"Macey's," I lied easily. "Why are you here?"

"Your mother wanted me to come check on you to make sure you got to Gallagher alright. We're picking up Macey, Bex, and Liz," he answered. "Grab your bags. We're going. I didn't realize you'd be out so late." I grabbed my stuff and we got in the car. We picked everyone up and as soon as we got to the school, we ran upstairs to our dorm to talk.

"What happened last night?" I asked.

Bex snorted. "I was about to ask you. We went to dance and when we looked back, we saw you and Mr. Hunky flirting."

I rolled my eyes but was inwardly freaking out. "It was nothing. What about you and Grant?"

"He was so sweet! I hope I see him again, but he's not a spy. We all know how that went with you and... I'm sorry," Bex mumbled.

I shook my head. "I can deal with it. I'm moving on. I'm trying not to focus on Josh." I had bigger problems.

"All this from talking to mystery boy?" Macey teased.

I laughed. "His name is Zach and he actually gave me a nice little pep talk. Now, Lizzie, how did things go with Jonas?"

She blushed bright red. "He was really sweet and he seemed intelligent. Plus, he was cute in a nerdy way. I really liked him." We laughed.

"I need to go get a book out of the library. Anyone want to come with?" I asked. Macey shrugged and got up to follow me. We walked there through a secret passageway and we were outside the door when we heard voices.

"I'm glad you made it back safely, Rachel," Solomon said. Mom was home? "Have you visited Cammie yet?"

"Not yet. So, did you check on her?" Mom asked.

"Yes. She came home pretty late but she was at Macey's," he answered. Macey held back a chuckle. She didn't realize how late I was home. Macey just thought I lied about going to the party. "And the mission?"

"They'll be here tomorrow with the rest of the girls. It's all set to go," mom replied. Macey and I exchanged a look. What was set to go and who was they?

"Good," Joe said. We heard them walking away. We got out of the passageway and continued our walk to the library.

"What was that? Who will be here tomorrow?" Macey asked.

I shrugged. "No clue, but we have 24 hours to figure it out." We ran to the library and then back to our room and told the girls everything.

"I know how to solve this problem," Liz said.

"How?" Macey, Bex, and I screamed.

Liz rolled her eyes. "We wait." Gallagher girls were a lot of things, but the three Gallagher girls in front of Liz were anything but patient.

"Are you kidding me?" Bex looked ready to strangle Liz.

"No. We don't have enough information to solve this in twenty four hours. We can't bug them or tail them and we have nothing to research. Go to sleep and learn to be patient," Liz said, turning off the light and hopping in bed.

I woke up, feeling much better than yesterday. I did kind of miss Zach, though. The sad thing was I screwed it up. It was a hit and run and if I ever did see him again it would be so uncomfortable. I heard screams and remembered today was the welcome back day.

Girls ran up and down the halls yelling greetings in many different languages. I got up and changed into my Gallagher uniform and headed downstairs. I might of slept in a little because it was time for the welcome back lunch (I know, I know, it's usually dinner but they changed it this year. I have no idea why. I think they just wanted to start classes earlier). I walked in and sat by Bex, Macey, and Liz.

"Do you think they're going to tell us who 'they' is?" Bex asked.

"I hope so. I can't wait any longer," I answered.

My mother walked to the podium. "Welcome back girls! We're going to have a fun semester and I'm really excited for all of the new opportunities. Now, this semester, we'll have something very different that hasn't happened in years. Meet the young men who will be here all semester from the Blackthorne Institute for Boys!" We were stunned into silence as the boys walked in. More boy drama? Seriously? That was the last thing I needed.

Macey squealed. "Look! They're here!"

"I can't believe it!" Liz gasped.

"Oh my gosh!" Bex exclaimed.

I was staring at the table. "What?"

"Grant, Jonas, and Nick are here!" Macey said excitedly. Yay! Their boys were here. Good fo- wait. If Zach lived with Grant, Jonas, and Nick, they had to have some tie. I just really hoped they were related and didn't go to the same school. Zach being a spy was too much to handle. I looked up and saw the three boys my friends liked and scanned the line for Zach. I saw a boy with a stupid smirk on his face and then I made eye contact with him. His jaw almost hit the ground. We both were staring at each other with dumbstruck expressions.

"Girls, you may all go to class," my mom said. I got up and booked it to Mr. Smith's COW class. My friends looked between me and the boys they liked and hesitantly followed me.

Bex caught up as Liz and Macey stumbled behind and said, "Um, is there a reason we're jogging to class?"

I shrugged. "I'm just, uh, trying to workout more. Lose a pound or two."

Bex raised an eyebrow but otherwise let my crappy lie pass. "Whatever. Just know I'll find out sometime." We got to COW and I looked at the seating chart. Bex, Macey, Liz, and I all sat in a row of desks, one behind the other.

"Let's begin class," Mr. Smith began. "So, one thing you need to know about-"

"Knock knock!" A voice said. Now I didn't get to know what I need to know. I looked to see who interrupted the lecture and saw Dr. Steve, the Blackthorne advisor. He opened the door further and revealed the four boys I had come to know too well. "These four boys will be joining these young ladies classes. I'll have them introduce themselves and then we'll find them a guide."

"I'm Jonas Anderson and I am on the research and development track," Jonas said.

"Are there any girls on the research and development track who could show Jonas around?" Dr. Steve asked. Liz's hand shot in the air and Jonas took a seat next to her.

"I'm Nick and I'm on the covert operations track," he said. Before Dr. Steve could speak, Macey patted the seat next to her and he grinned and sat down. A few girls sighed. We finally had boys around us, all of whom were very good-looking, and they didn't even glance around.

"I'm Grant Newman and I'm on the CoveOps track. Who wants to be my guide, ladies?" He then winked and I held back a laugh. Bex just rolled her eyes as everyone's hands went up. When he sat next to her, she flipped her hair in a flirty way I couldn't master.

Next up was Zach. "I'm Zachary Goode. I'm on the CoveOps track and I've found my guide." Zach walked across the room and almost every girl held their breath as he walked. I just turned away and then turned back and he was right next to me. Every girl groaned. "Hey, Gallagher Girl." I just tried to ignore him. "Seriously? We're not even going to talk?" I nodded and he groaned and slid farther into his seat. Today was bound to get interesting... And really awkward.

 **I figured I would upload two chapters today so there was a little more to read. I hope you're enjoying it so far and please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After class, there was an announcement telling us the rest of the day we were free from classes to get to know the Blackthorne Boys. I got out of my desk and walked into a secret passageway, praying no one would follow. My prayers were unanswered.

"Why did you follow me?" I asked.

My comment received a laugh. "You're my guide, remember? I'm supposed to follow you."

"To class, not stalk me," I replied. I turned and he stared into my eyes.

"Yeah, well, we have to talk," Zach said angrily.

"There's nothing to talk about," I answered.

He rolled his eyes. "So, we avoid each other all semester?"

"That would work fabulously."

"Fine. I'll avoid you, but then I'll tell everyone about what-"

I cut him off. "I swear I will kill you if you say anything. I didn't even tell my best friends."

My face morphed into one of panic and Zach's head shot around on instinct and he asked, "What?"

"Your friends know! Do you think they'll tell my friends?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes. "I can just imagine the conversation. 'So, Grant, how've you been?' 'Good. Did you know Cammie and Zach hooked up?'"

I smacked his arm. "One, very funny." He laughed his charming laugh. "Two, don't call it that. It makes it sound bad. Three, you need to tell your friends not to say anything. They can't know anything about this."

"Why?" Zach asked. "Are you embarrassed of me?" He had a joking tone in his voice but his eyes showed he was actually curious.

"No. My friends still think I'm a virgin, so they wouldn't be very happy with me for not sharing."

Zach rolled his eyes once again and smirked. "Well, since you're not, maybe we can pick up where we left off." He kissed me and then started kissing my neck.

"No. I can't," I mumbled.

Zach pulled away. "Why not? We don't have to tell anyone."

He kissed me again and it was like fireworks. "What the hell."

I stood up and finished buttoning my shirt. "That was fun."

"Yeah, it was," Zach said with a grin, still lying down, shirtless. His chest was perfectly muscular and chiseled. "We should do it again sometime."

"We can't. My friends will be so upset when they find out," I replied.

He rolled to his side and propped himself up on his elbow. "Then we just won't tell them. If anyone asks, we're just friends. Barely even that."

"That doesn't seem smart," I commented.

He shrugged. "Why not? We're both just having fun. It's not super serious and we both have stressful lives."

"But I don't know how I feel about that," I mumbled.

He sat up and wrapped an arm around me. "It's just me. We're having a secret relationship but you're not picking up a new guy every night."

I suddenly felt super assured. "You're right. There's nothing wrong with this. We're like friends with benefits." I kissed him. He was about to unbutton my blouse when the PA system crackled.

"Sophomore class, report to the grand hall," I heard my mom's voice say.

I pulled away and sighed. "Come on. We have to go."

"No. This is more fun," he said, sounding like a pouty little kid told to eat his vegetables before he got dessert.

I laughed. "We're not getting in trouble on day one. Let's go." He sighed and followed me out of the passageway. We were the last people in the hall so everyone turned to look at us. Great way to hide our secret. Thanks, Zach.

"Glad you could join us, Ms. Morgan, Mr. Goode. Where were you?" Mr. Solomon asked. "Nevermind. Clearly, you were showing Mr. Goode the secret passageways." All the girls chuckled at my disheveled uniform. They were so used to seeing it like that it didn't even phase them.

My mom started speaking. "Now that everyone's here," she gave me a stern look. "We can begin. So, this exchange will be a great learning opportunity and we hope that you make friendships that will last a lifetime. Today might be off but tomorrow will involve lots of hard work. Those of you who are guides, please work hard at helping these boys fit in here. It's a completely new environment and all of you students needs to be welcoming. Tomorrow, you'll have a CoveOps mission in town so wear regular clothes for it. That is all."

Zach smirked and leaned down so he could whisper in my ear. "Should we continue where we left off?" I grinned and nodded. As we began to walk away, we were stopped by Bex.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked. We both turned and saw all of the six of them staring at us.

I answered. "We were just going to continue the tour."

Macey looked at me. "That sounds boring. Let's play a game."

"What game?" I asked.

"Never Have I Ever! It's the perfect way to get to know new people!" Macey said. I groaned. "Too bad. We're playing." Zach grinned at me as we walked at the back of the group.

"Crap! I left my sweater in the boys' room. Will you guys come with me?" I asked.

Grant nodded. "I'm hungry."

"I have to pee," Nick said.

"I should grab my laptop to show Liz the program I made. Zach, come with us," Jonas said.

"We'll clean up quick," Bex said excitedly. As the boys turned, she mouthed a thank you. Our room was a mess due to waking Bex up this morning. I walked with Zach behind the group of guys.

"This is going to be lame. Never Have I Ever? Seriously?" Zach asked.

"Just wait til you see how Macey plays," I mumbled. "She doesn't mind difficult questions."

"What are you two doing back there? We don't want you to just sneak off somewhere and make out," Grant joked.

I looked at Zach and he spoke up. "About that. Cammie's friends can't know anything about that night. If they asked, we kissed but we've decided to be friends." Jonas, Grant, and Nick nodded. He pretended to whisper, "They think she's a virgin." They laughed and I smacked him.

"Please, let's pretend this didn't happen," I begged. They all smiled at me comfortingly.

Grant stopped Zach and I in our tracks. "You can trick everyone else, but we both know Cammie wasn't just showing you Gallagher's secret passageways. She was showing you _her_ secret passageways if you catch my drift." Grant chuckled and I slapped his arm. "I won't tell anyone don't worry but you two can at least try to control yourselves. Now let's hurry. I have some plans for this game."We hurried to their room and ran to my room to play. We all sat down in a circle.

"I'll go first. Raise your hand if you have done what I say," Macey began. "Never have I ever... Kissed someone I just met at a party." I glared as me, Zach, Grant, and Bex raised our hands. "I knew it!" She squealed. "So, Grant, you can go."

"Never have I ever been drunk," he said. This time me, Macey, Bex, Zach, and Nick raised our hands.

Nick chuckled. "Never have I ever been in a relationship." Macey and I raised our hands. "With who?"

Macey shrugged. "I went to regular schools until this year." Everyone turned to me.

"I met a cute boy on a Cove Ops mission and we eventually started dating," I replied with a shrug.

"Like, another agent?" Jonas asked.

I blushed and Zach raised an eyebrow. "No. A civilian."

"How?" Grant asked, super interested.

"A lot of sneaking out and sneaking around," I said, shrugging.

Nick laughed. "That's amazing! Solomon didn't even catch you?"

"Eventually he did but I kept it hidden for a few months," I replied and everyone laughed.

"You've got to teach us some stuff! I need to learn from you!" Grant said excitedly. "Aren't you kind of worried, though?"

"About what?" I asked.

Grant shrugged. "We are going into town tomorrow. What if you bump into him?"

"He's the least of my worries. One of his friends hates me and loves to make fun of me. One of his main hobbies is to pick on Gallagher Girls," I replied.

Nick chuckled. "Well, tomorrow we'll be there so they hopefully leave you alone."

Bex laughed. "Definitely not. Don't forget, you're now from a snobby prep school. They all think they can kick your ass.

Grant raised an eyebrow. "Not to sound braggy, but do you see our muscles? Jonas is the scrawny one and he looks like he could kick anyone's butt."

"They don't care. One guy tried to pick a fight with Bex. She's pretty muscular, too. They all just think they're super tough," Macey added.

"Is this Jimmy guy like that?" Zach asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Josh and no. He wouldn't hurt a fly."

"That does it for you?" Zach teased and the guys chuckled.

I glared. "He's sweet. Josh remembered anniversaries and my birthday and planned nice dates and ignored the fact that I made him leave notes in a wall to communicate with me. I loved him. _That_ does it for me."

"Never have I ever been in love," Zach shot back.

I rolled my eyes and raised my hand. "I don't really think I'd brag about that like it makes you better than me."

"Well, being a spy is about being unattached. You can't even stay unattached from a town boy," Zach snapped.

"Well, I'm unattached now. I don't need a guy in my life," I replied. Zach glared and everyone else looked uncomfortable.

Macey coughed. "I think that's a day on never have I ever. How about we talk to you guys at dinner?" Grant nodded and Zach stormed out without a second look. "That was awkward."

"I just don't need anyone judging my relationships," I snapped.

"Well, didn't he already know you'd had a boyfriend?" Liz asked. I nodded.

"He's jealous," Macey replied in a sing-song voice.

I rolled my eyes. "I doubt it." Zach and I weren't about feelings. We were just friends.

"At least you're not thinking about Josh," Bex teased.

"Why are you all still sitting here?" I asked, changing the subject.

Liz raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"There are 3 cute boys all waiting for you! I'm fine. You go have fun," I answered.

"Are you sure?" Liz asked warily.

"Definitely! I need to go to the P&E barn anyway," I replied. I quick changed to a tank top and athletic shorts. "See you later. I'm going to work out." I decided I'd do a lap around the grounds and then go beat the crap out of the punching bag. I made it to the barn and started kicking and punching.

"What did that punching bag do to you?" A boy I didn't recognize asked.

I laughed and swung another kick at it. "It's not the bag's fault."

"I'd offer to spar with you, but I think you'd kick my ass," he said. I chuckled and he smiled at me. "So, can I maybe get your name?"

I grinned and stopped punching the bag. "Cammie. What's your name?"

"Jake," the boy said. He had light brown hair and tons of muscles.

"I didn't see you earlier. What grade are you?" I asked.

"Junior. You?" He asked.

"Sophomore," I answered.

Jake grinned at me. "So, other than beating up this bag, what are you doing today?"

"Just hanging out with friends after they're done hanging out with the guys they met." I shrugged.

He laughed. "Well, maybe you can hang out with me."

"Sure," I replied, surprising myself. "I just have to shower."

"Very forward of you inviting me to shower, but I'm okay with it," he teased and we both laughed. I loved how carefree his attitude was. "I'll see you soon. My room is 236." I smiled and made my way back to my room. The second I walked by a secret passageway, I got pulled into it. I flipped my intruder and then I was pinned to the ground with Zach on top of me. I was really starting to get used to looking up at him.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

I answered. "I have to shower."

"Am I coming with?" Zach teased.

I glared. "No. If anyone is, it's Jake."

"Jake?" He asked.

"Yes. He's a year older," I said, kind of bragging.

Zach glared. "He's no good, Gallagher Girl."

I raised an eyebrow at the name but ignored it. "Why do you have a sudden interest in my love life?" He looked taken aback. "No one gave you the right to care about me. We just hook up." I said, shooting his words back at him.

" _Friends_ with benefits. That's why I care," he answered.

I rolled my eyes. "I think you're emphasizing the wrong word. Earlier, you weren't very friendly. I think you're upset because the possibility of your benefits are going away."

Zach chuckled. "I'm not worried about losing my benefits."

"Why's that?" I asked, glaring. Before I knew it, Zach pushed me against the wall and we were making out. He started kissing down my neck and he lightly bit down on it and I moaned.

Zach smirked at me and whispered, "That's why. You're enjoying this as much as I am." He kissed me again quickly before disappearing out the door.

"Hello, Ms. Morgan," I heard Joe Solomon say. Why was my life so awkward?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Hi, Mr. Solomon," I replied. He just looked at me. "Um, how long have you been standing there?"

Solomon answered, "Too long."

"I'm sorry if that was weird," I apologized.

He just shrugged. "It was. So, you're dating Zachary Goode now? I suppose that's better than the civilian."

I blushed. "No actually."

Joe raised an eyebrow. "Whatever you say."

"Also, please don't bring this up in front of anyone. No one knows," I mumbled.

Solomon chuckled. "Rest assured, Ms. Morgan, I can keep a secret." I quick walked out the passageway and went to shower. I put on a pair of leggings and a cute tank top. While I was putting some makeup on, I noticed something. I had a hickey on my neck! That's why Zach was so smirky when he left. It fell under my tank top strap and my hair for the most part, but I still coated it in makeup. I walked to Jake's, praying he wouldn't notice it.

I knocked and he answered. "Hey, Cam." He sat on his bed and motioned for me to sit next to him. I awkwardly walked over. We just kind of sat there for a little.

After the silence got too weird, I asked, "So, how do you like Gallagher?"

"Way better than Blackthorne. The food and teachers are amazing, plus it's way more interesting to have girls around for a change," He answered.

I nodded. "I get what you're saying. I love my sisters, but sometimes it's nice to be around guys besides the teachers."

Jake laughed. "True." We sat talking for another hour about just random things. Jake was so nice, but he was more friend material than boyfriend material.

"I should probably get going," I said after a little.

Jake nodded. "This was fun. We should hangout again soon."

"Definitely," I replied. I really enjoyed talking to him so I'm glad we were friends. As I walked out into the hallway, I saw Zach chatting with Tina. She kept giggling and flipping her hair. I just rolled my eyes. It was pathetic if he was going to stoop low enough that he was flirting with Tina to try and bother me. I smiled and winked at Jake. "I'll see you later."

"Ooh, Cammie, who's room is that?" Tina asked.

I answered, "Jake's."

"Isn't he a junior?" Tina questioned. I nodded and we grinned. "Nice work! Maybe we can go on a double date sometime!"

I smirked at Zach as he ran his hands through his hair and I said, "Definitely. Next town day, perhaps?"

"Yes!" Tina answered. "You know all the best places to go thanks to Josh." Zach looked ready to punch a wall. "But now you have a new boy to move on with!"

Zach nodded. "Yeah, it's good you have a new guy."

"Isn't he so sweet?" Tina added. I saw Zach smirk from behind her.

I knew nothing about Zach was sweet, but I smiled and said, "So sweet. I should probably go down and get Bex, Liz, and Macey for dinner."

"I'll come with you. The boys are all there," Zach added.

Tina smiled. "See you later, Zachy." She walked the opposite direction.

"Zachy?" I mumbled, chuckling at him.

He glared. "It's not funny."

I smirked. "It's kind of funny."

"So, how was your date with Jake?" Zach asked, trying to act nonchalant.

I smiled. "Good. How was your date with Tina?"

"She called me Zachy," he stated. Yup. That summed up how well that went. We both started cracking up. "Shut up."

I couldn't stop laughing. "I'm always going to call you that now, Zachy." He smiled the first real smile I'd ever seen him make. It was dazzling and I don't get why he didn't do it more often. "Not to kill the fun laughter, but I figured you should know. We can't go to that secret passageway again."

"Why not?" He asked, smile falling from his face.

I rolled my eyes. "Someone saw your little show."

"Who?" Zach wondered.

I looked at the ground. "Um, Mr. Solomon."

"What?" Zach practically shouted.

I said, "Quiet down! We don't need anyone else finding out!"

"What did he say?" Zach asked.

I shrugged. "He asked if we were dating. I said no. He kind of rolled his eyes at me. I begged him not to tell anyone and he said he could keep a secret."

"Good. He's going to hate me now," Zach groaned.

I laughed. "Why?"

Zach raised an eyebrow. "He's always watching out for you. I can tell that already."

"You'll be fine," I promised. "I won't let him freak out at you."

"Cameron Morgan," Zach said clutching his heart. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you _care_ about me?"

I laughed again and so did he. "Enough to hope you don't face the wrath of Joe Solomon." We both laughed and got back to my room.

"Oh my goodness," Bex said. "Was that laughing we heard?"

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up, Bex. You're starting to sound like Macey."

"Bex, take that as a compliment," Macey added. "You two were fighting last time we saw you and now you won't stop laughing. What did we miss?"

"I'm a reasonable person and I accept apologies," I replied with a shrug.

Grant looked shocked. "Ok, now I'm shocked."

"Why?" Zach asked.

Grant chuckled and asked, "Zachary Goode _apologized_?" All his friends laughed.

"Shut up," Zach mumbled.

I shook my head. "I guess he didn't technically apologize. He just now has Tina all over him so you have to pity the boy."

"So true," Bex added. "Good luck getting her to go away."

Zach groaned. "How do I get her away from me?"

"You could pretend you and Cammie were together and Tina would probably leave you alone," Liz answered.

Zach smirked at me. "What do you say, Gallagher Girl? Want to be my girlfriend tomorrow?" I glared. "For show, of course."

"I don't know," I began.

Macey rolled her eyes. "She accepts. Now let's go to dinner." We started our walk and got a table for all of us. As Macey and I sat at the table, she said, "You're going to look so hot tomorrow."

I shrugged. "I don't want to look hot tomorrow."

"Why not?" Macey whined. "You have a date with a cute boy!"

"A fake date and we have work to be done," I answered. They all sat down.

"What are we talking about?" Liz asked.

I said, "Macey wants to dress nice tomorrow but it's not a day for that."

"And why's that?" Nick asked.

Liz answered, "Cam's a pavement artist. Dressing nice makes it easier for people to notice you."

"I'm a pavement artist, too," Zach replied.

I laughed. "No way." Before I even thought about it, words were stumbling out of my mouth. "You're too cute to be a pavement artist." Why did I say that? I don't know why I loved embarrassing myself.

Zach smirked. "Excuse me?" They all laughed at me.

I blushed and mumbled, "It's just too easy to get noticed if you're not average."

"And here's Cammie in her natural habitat, with her foot in her mouth," Bex said. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Well, thanks but I'm pretty good at it," Zach replied with a shrug.

I shrugged. "I guess we'll see tomorrow."

"Someone's pretty confident," Grant teased.

I laughed. "I know what I'm good at."

"It's on tomorrow," Zach said with a smirk.

"Because of your little pavement artist contest or your date?" Macey asked with a wink. Everyone burst out laughing. Little did they know, it was definitely on because of both. I couldn't believe that Zach and I had gotten to this point and I hadn't told any of my friends.

I got up. "On that lovely note, I'm off to go finish some reading for class and then go to bed so I will see you all tomorrow." Everyone else got up to leave, too, and prepare for tomorrow.

 **Thanks for reading! I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever but I'll probably be updating all of my stories soon. If you have any suggestions for the story, let me know!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I was woken up far too early so Macey could lightly curl my hair. She thankfully allowed me to wear a burgundy sweater, leggings, and white converse so no one would really notice me too much. I also convinced Macey to let me do my own makeup beforehand to hide the stupid hickey Zach gave me. They all ignored my advice and dressed super cute and were way too easy to notice.

We headed down to the vans and climbed in. Shortly after, the guys all sat next to us. I watched as girls all climbed in very non-functional outfits. Literally, girls, like Tina, were in high-heeled boots. How do you run in those? Oh, wait. You don't.

"So, today we'll be playing a little game this morning and if you succeed, you might get the afternoon off," Solomon said. We pulled over and got out of the van on a street on a back road. "Teams of two." As I reached for Bex, she went to Grant.

Everyone started pairing off and I said, "Mr. Solomon, I don't have a partner."

"I think you do," he said, gesturing to a smirking Zach. I glared at Mr. Solomon but he ignored me.

Tina glared. "Zachy, you're supposed to be my partner."

"Sorry. I have to listen to the teacher," Zach fake apologized.

Solomon began explaining our mission. "Today, you'll be observing things in town and practicing your brush passes. You'll be passing this quarter around secretly. I will be asking you questions through the comms units and if everyone gets their questions right, you can spend the afternoon how you want. Everyone grab a comms unit and we'll begin." I reached for a pin, but Bex shoved something else in my hand.

"It only seems right for you to keep your legend going," Bex said with a smile. She had handed me a silver cross necklace, just like the one I had worn last semester. I rolled my eyes but put it on anyway. I had an odd sentimental attachment to it. We headed out of the van after Mr. Solomon handed Eva the coin. We started our walk away and Zach and I headed to the gazebo.

Zach sat on the steps of the place I had my very first kiss and said, "Come here often?"

"I used to, but then the deputy director of the CIA made me promise to stop," I answered honestly. Zach chuckled. I could hear Solomon firing questions at everyone.

He then asked, "Cammie, how long has the pharmacy on the corner been there?" I didn't even need to look at it to know the answer.

I sunk down on the steps next to Zach and whispered, "72 years." I could tell what was happening. Mr. Solomon was trying to force Josh out of my system by constantly bringing him up. Then it would hopefully dull how I felt about everything, but right now, it hurt like hell.

Zach looked at me. "Hey, are you okay?" I turned away so I didn't have to face him as I shook my head. Nothing about me was okay and I wasn't willing to pretend I was. I should've sat there and acted mature, but sitting right there, in the spot of my first kiss and right near Josh's family's pharmacy, I didn't want to be mature. I stood up and walked away. I couldn't do this anymore.

I was walking down an alley when I heard a voice I didn't need to hear at that moment. "Cammie, is that you?" Josh asked. I wish I could've ignored him. I wanted to run away and not deal with this anymore. Hiding sounded amazing right now, but I never seemed to be able to hide from Josh. "Are you okay?" Well, now he thought I was crazy.

I did everything I could to keep my voice from cracking when I replied, "Hi, Josh. How have you been?"

Josh smiled that easy smile that made me fall in love with him. "I'm okay. How are you?"

"Uh, I'm okay," I answered. How is it possible that I spoke so many languages but I couldn't seem to find any words with this boy?

"So, we're both, uh, okay," Josh said. "Good for us." This was so awkward. This was the worst thing I'd ever sit through. It was excruciating and awful and it was making my bad day get worse.

"Hey, Josh!" DeeDee said as she ran from the store. "Your dad said..." She turned and noticed me. "Oh! Hey, Cammie." She ran over and gave me a hug and then stood by Josh. I noticed something that had nothing to do with me being a spy and a lot to do with me being a girl. They were standing awkwardly trying not to touch and kept exchanging looks. "I'm on, uh, student council and Josh's dad has been, um, helping with-"

"Cammie! There you are," Zach said turning the corner to see the three of us. At this moment, I was thankful for how handsome Zach was. I saw Josh's uncomfortable smile turn to a frown. Zach stuck his hand out to shake Josh's hand. "Hey. I'm Zach."

Josh shook his hand and mumbled, "I'm Josh."

DeeDee grinned. "I'm DeeDee! We're Cammie's friends."

"It's nice meeting you, but Cam and I have to get back to our assignment. Right, Gallagher Girl?" Zach asked. I saw Josh tense when Zach called me Gallagher Girl. I still feel so awful about all the lying I did to him.

"Isn't Gallagher an all girls school?" Josh asked.

Zach smirked. "Yeah, but my school is having an exchange with Gallagher this semester so I guess I'll be spending tons of time with Cammie." Zach slipped his hand into mine and I felt the quarter slip into my hand. DeeDee looked uncomfortable and Josh looked really upset.

"We should go," I said. "It was great seeing you guys again." I dragged Zach away and glared at him. We passed Bex and Grant and I passed her the coin.

"Why are you glaring at me?" Zach asked. "I think I deserve a thank you."

I rolled my eyes. "That was the worst thing that I've ever been a part of."

I heard Solomon's voice over the comms units. "Congratulations, everyone. I'm shutting off the comms. Enjoy your day. You have until 3 o'clock."

It was noon so Zach looked at me and asked, "Do you maybe want to get some lunch?"

"Sure," I answered.

"I'm sure you know somewhere good," Zach added. I glared again. "So, that was the famous Josh? He is why you were so upset that night?" I nodded and looked at the ground. He elbowed me and I looked at him. "I mean, he was a cutie," I laughed and he continued, "but I'm a little surprised you got so freaked out around him. That was one of the most painful things I've had to listen to."

"Oh my gosh! You all heard that!" I groaned.

Zach laughed. "Yep. Sorry, Gallagher Girl."

"This is officially one of the worst days of my life," I complained.

"Yeah, it's been a pretty shitty day for you so far," he agreed. "But now, we're going to get some food and have some fun." I just shrugged. I wanted to relax and have fun in this town, but I wasn't sure if that was possible anymore. There were too many memories everywhere and even when I outran the memories, I ran into someone from my past. "Come on, Gallagher Girl. Lead the way." I walked over to the diner Josh and I used to go to. We sat down across from each other in a booth and each ordered a chocolate shake. Bex and Grant came in. Bex motioned for me to get up and I slid into Zach's side of the booth and Bex and Grant sat across from us.

"Hey, Cam," Bex said. "How's it going?"

I glared. "I think everyone in our class knows how it's going for me."

Grant laughed. "Yeah, it was pretty brutal." Bex elbowed him. "What? It was!" I put my head in my hands. "Well, at least nothing more embarrassing can happen to you now."

"Dude, seriously?" Zach said.

I lifted my head up. "Honestly, that was probably the most comforting thing I've heard today."

"See? I'm helpful!" Grant said and we all laughed.

"I don't think I'd go that far," I replied. All of us got food and we ate and chatted. "I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be back." I got up and headed around the corner of the wall. All of a sudden, Dillon was in my face.

"Hey, Cammie," he greeted me, with a fake smile on his face.

I smiled politely. "Hi, Dillon. How are you?"

"Not so good because you and all your other snooty classmates are invading my town. I'm also not too happy you were bothering my best friend," he snapped.

"I'm sorry you have a problem with us, but Josh can make his own decisions and I don't think I bothered him," I replied.

Dillon glared. "Well, you're bothering me."

"You're the one who followed me back here and won't leave me alone," I snapped back. Dillon stepped closer to me and I was pressed against the wall.

"Is there a problem?" I heard Zach ask.

Dillon snorted. "Yeah. This little bitch won't leave my friend alone."

"What did you call her?" Zach asked in a scary calm voice.

Dillon turned from me to Zach. "A bitch." Zach pushed Dillon away from me and Dillon punched him. Obviously, Zach could have dodged it and kicked Dillon's ass, but Zach wasn't supposed to be a spy in Roseville. He was supposed to be a prep school boy. "You're just lucky I'm not going to kick your ass." Dillon walked back to his friends and I grabbed a tissue and handed it to Zach because his nose was bleeding a little and he was starting to get a black eye.

Zach just looked at me and said, "We should probably get back to our table." Zach walked away from me and I sighed. Well, somehow today had gotten worse. Now Zach probably hated me and all the drama that came with me.

I started walking back to the booth and heard Grant ask, "What happened to you?"

"It was nothing," Zach muttered. "We should probably get back to the van." We headed back to where we were supposed to meet Solomon and we were the last ones there.

"Zachary Goode, who were you fighting with?" Solomon asked.

Zach shrugged. "Just some civilian. I didn't do anything to him."

Solomon addressed the whole class as we started the drive back to Gallagher. "I want you all to learn a lesson from Zach. We can't demonstrate our strength to these people. If they fight, don't fight back much. You're all rich private school kids. Good work, Zach." The rest of the ride was filled with tons of chatter about what people did all day, except Zach and I were silent. We got back and Zach walked inside quick. Great. Now he was avoiding me. I walked back to my room and Bex followed me. We walked in our room and Macey and Liz were sitting in our room.

"How was your day?" Liz asked. I just laid down on my bed and Bex filled them in on all of my drama.

Bex finished up the Josh story and then said, "So, we met Zach and Cam at a diner and Cam disappeared for a little so Zach got up to see if she was okay. Grant and I are waiting for them and all of a sudden, Zach storms over with a black eye and a bloody nose!"

"No way! What happened?" Macey asked.

I sighed. "Dillon got in my face and wouldn't let me leave. Zach came back to check on me and asked if we were okay. Then Dillon called me a bitch-"

"What?" They all shouted.

Bex said, "Why didn't you tell me? I would've kicked his ass."

"That's why I didn't say anything. You heard Mr. Solomon. We aren't supposed to fight back. Zach pushed him away from me and Dillon punched him. Now Zach won't talk to me," I replied.

Macey shrugged. "He's just pouting. If he likes you-"

"He doesn't like me!" I interjected.

Macey rolled her eyes. "If he likes you, like I suspect he does, he probably had a hard day, too. You were clearly having an emotional day dealing with Josh stuff and it probably made him feel a little insecure and he had to get punched in the face for you. I'm guessing he's just feeling down on himself and doesn't want to show it."

I shrugged. "I guess. I just hope this doesn't make things awkward."


End file.
